By Eduardo Simoes SAO PAULO, July 29 (Reuters) - Several thousand Brazilians, including relatives of 199 people killed in Brazil's worst air crash earlier this month, staged a rally on Sunday to honor the victims and criticize the government for being unable to end a long-running air traffic crisis. Carrying flowers and placards with words of grief and protest, they marched through South America's largest city of Sao Paulo to the smoke-blackened ruins of a cargo terminal, where an Airbus A320 crashed on July 17 after skidding off a rain-slicked runway in the country's busiest airport, Congonhas. A group of protesters chanted anti-government slogans, blaming the authorities for the second major air disaster in less than a year and a 10 month-long air travel crisis. "President, leave your presidential sash on my husband's grave," read one banner. Another black banner had "Misgoverning kills" emblazoned on it in white letters. Renata Oliveira, wearing a shirt with a picture of her father who was killed in the crash, said: "It is very sad to know that someone you loved a lot died here because of someone's irresponsible actions." Organizers said up to 8,000 people took part in the rally, but police could not confirm the number. Local residents also joined in, some expressing fear of living close to Congonhas in the heart of Sao Paulo. "I'm scared of living here, but what can I do," said Fabio Alexandre, a doorman. Authorities are investigating if the runway, which is known for being slippery and short, was unsafe for landing in the rain. They are also trying to find out if possible pilot error and mechanical problems contributed to the crash. Veja magazine said this weekend a pilot's error while landing the plane with one of its thrust reversers inoperable had most likely caused the crash. But Air Force Command said in a statement it was too early to jump to conclusions. TAM Linhas Aereas <TAMM4.SA><TAM.N> had acknowledged the reverser, which helps to slow down the plane on landing, had been broken, but said the aircraft was safe to fly like that. The TAM plane rammed into a cargo terminal and gas station, bursting into flames. All 187 people on board and at least 12 more on the ground were killed in the accident. The crash caused air travel in Brazil to descend further into chaos. With the main Congonhas runway closed until Friday, cancellations and delays there had a ripple effect nationwide and sparked revolts at ticket counters. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva appointed a new defense minister, Nelson Jobim, last Wednesday to overhaul Brazil's ailing aviation sector. The defense ministry and the air force oversee air traffic and airports in Brazil. Last September in Brazil, 154 people were killed when a Boeing 737 <BA.N> clipped wings in midair with a private jet and crashed into the Amazon jungle. Air travel was slowly returning to normal this weekend with no delays reported in Congonhas, but 24 percent of flights across the country were delayed over an hour. The troubled main runway at Congonhas reopened on Friday, but it is now only allowed to operate in dry weather.
